Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
I think this is the longest one ive made actually
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The soft sound of footsteps could be heard moving quickly through the thick forest with two other sets not too far behind. A very particular red steve with a white lab coat ran as hard as he could, his heart feeling like it was trying to beat out of his chest as it screamed at him to stop but he couldn't not yet. The two other pairs of footsteps seem to keep up with him never getting closer or further as  he could clearly hear light chuckling.
"Come on professor, just slow down, you're just delaying the inevitable." The professor didn't care which one was talking but if he had to guess it was probably the one in the light gray cloak. "Not in your lifetime" He retorted, not bothering to even turn back, there was no way he was going to let them catch up to him, they already took everything else from him he wasn't about to lose his life to them too.
"Will you end this game already, you've teased him long enough and he is getting way too close to a village" the one in red had a deeper voice than he expected but nonetheless he managed to sound beyond unimpressed despite their constant running.
"Aw no fair, boss its only been an hour" he could hear them audioably pouting that their 'game' was to be cut short.
The hushed voices were quiet but loud in the silence of the forest minus the sounds of branches being pushed away and their movements but what truly caught his attention was the mention of a village, his key to ending this nightmare. He picked up the pace even though his legs screamed for rest and his heart was beating loudly in his ears, he had to escape.
This action didn't go unnoticed by his chasers as he heard a light squeal of joy and a loud sigh. It didn't matter to him he just had to ensure they couldn't catch up to him, if this was the game he didn't want to see what they would do if they were serious.
The professor's breath came in ragged gasps, his body screaming in protest as he pushed past branches and low-hanging vines. The thick trees finally began to thin, the dense forest breaking apart, revealing a narrow valley below. Beyond that, he could see it—salvation. A village. The homes were small dots in the distance, but they were close enough to make his heart surge with hope. He was so close. So close.
Ignoring the burning pain in his chest and the throbbing ache in his legs, he pushed harder, practically throwing himself through the final tree line, his hand outstretched towards the village.
Thunk!
An agonizing pain ripped through his leg, and he cried out, tumbling to the ground. His momentum sent him rolling across the dirt and grass, hands grasping at anything to slow his fall, but the damage was done. He collapsed, gasping as the searing pain shot through his calf where the arrow lodged deep.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to crawl, dragging himself forward with every ounce of strength he had left. He reached out toward the village, fingers trembling with desperation, his vision swimming.
Then, with a sickening crunch, a boot slammed down on his outstretched hand, pinning it to the ground. The professor let out a silent scream, his voice betraying him once again as the pain overwhelmed him.
"Ugh, really? You let him get this close?" The voice of the one in the red cloak was cold and sharp, dripping with frustration as they reloaded their crossbow with slow, deliberate movements. "I told you to stop toying with him, and now look how close he is to the village!"
Behind them, the one in the gray cloak let out a light, almost childish chuckle. "Relax. It's part of the fun." They twirled the sword in their hand, balancing it playfully between their fingers as if the situation was just a game. "You let them get a little hope, let them think they can make it... Then you take it away. It's what makes the game interesting."
The one in the red cloak scowled beneath their hood, visibly annoyed as they finished reloading the crossbow. "Interesting or not, you should have ended this sooner." They pressed down harder on the professor's hand with their boot, the pressure making him wince in agony as he stared at the distant village that felt so impossibly far away now.
The gray-cloaked figure hummed to themselves, ignoring the reprimand. "Oh, but it's so much more thrilling this way! See the way he fought to reach the village?" They gave the professor a once-over before flicking the blade in their hand, casually spinning it in the air. "That's the look of someone who thought they could win."
They crouched down beside him, their sword twirling in lazy circles. "You really thought you had a chance, didn't you, professor?" Their voice was sickeningly sweet, like they were speaking to a child. "But don't worry... The game's over now."
The professor's mind raced as he fought through the blinding pain, his heart pounding in his chest. His vision dimmed, but he couldn't stop staring at the village. The hope he'd clung to was fading, just as the gray cloak had wanted.
The professor gasped, struggling to breathe as the weight on his hand grew unbearable. His mind swirled in a haze of pain and exhaustion, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the village, so close yet now impossibly out of reach. He wanted to scream, to fight back, but his body refused to listen.
The one in the red cloak crouched down beside him, their eyes cold and filled with disdain as they stared into the professor's weary, pain-filled gaze. The scowl beneath their hood deepened, a mixture of frustration and superiority on their hidden face.
"This is what happens when you forget," the red-cloaked figure spat, their voice laced with venom. They leaned closer, the weight on the professor's hand increasing as if to drive the point home. "You forget what you're up against. You forget the cost of playing with things you shouldn't."
The professor's vision blurred, the sound of his own heartbeat loud in his ears. Desperation clawed at his chest, but the strength to resist was long gone. He could feel his own pulse throbbing in the hand pinned beneath the boot, powerless as his fate unfolded in front of him.
The one in the gray cloak bounced on their feet, the sword still twirling lazily in their hand. "Ooh, now that was a good line, Boss!" they cooed, giggling to themselves as they stopped their playful spinning. With deliberate, almost playful ease, they knelt beside the professor, placing the cool edge of the blade against his throat.
"Don't worry, professor," the gray-cloaked figure whispered with a mocking smile, their breath hot against his skin. "It's all part of the game."
The professor's breath hitched, his muscles tensing instinctively as the cold steel pressed harder into his neck.
"Goodbye, professor," the one in red sneered, standing upright, their cold gaze unflinching. With one swift motion, the one in the gray cloak drew the blade across his throat. Warmth spilled down his neck as the world faded to black.
.
And just like that, the game ended.
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This took way too long of me staring at my screen and reading other stories praying for something to give me inspiration, why did no one tell me writing would take so much brain power